Most of us will have wonderful memories of matches at Goodison Park, such as the crowds of 78,000 spectators, or the 1966 World Cup or Bob Latchford’s and John Willie Parker’s 30 goals. These are all within my memory but the one that stands out for me above them all is an incident that occurred in about 1947.
My usual stance at matches was always mid-way up the terrace below the clock. For some reason, at this particular match, I stood right behind the wall surrounding the ground. It was a reserve match and there was little or no atmosphere in the ground.
An Everton defender and an opponent were struggling for the ball in front of me. The man in blue tried to clear the ball but it hit the attacker’s foot. Instead of the ball being cleared upfield, it was squeezed sidewards and struck me forcibly on the head. To say that I was groggy is a severe understatement.
Players and others came quickly to see how I was. I was lifted up and conveyed to the bench were I was looked at by the ‘trainer’. “How many fingers am I holding up?” was the first question, followed by “Does your head hurt?”
My answers were obviously acceptable and the match carrried on. I watched the remainder of the game seated in the dug-out. I couldn’t wait to tell my pals at school that I had viewed the match from the bench. That was an unforgettable memory!